GOP Warns Cost To Register SUVs and Minivans Could Go Up In California

Sacramento, CA — Republicans at the California state capitol are lobbying Governor Gavin Newsom to veto a bill that they say could eventually lead to bigger fees to register heavier passenger vehicles.

Assembly Bill 251 passed in the Senate and Assembly and would create a new state task force that would study the relationship between vehicle weight and injuries to vulnerable road users  (like bicyclists and pedestrians), and look into how much more road damage heavier vehicles do than lighter counterparts.

The end result could be to change the system so that vehicle licensing fees are based on weight. Republicans in the legislature are calling it a potential, “Family Tax,” because families are more likely to drive heavier vehicles, like SUVs and minivans.

Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones has sent a letter to Governor Newsom, urging him to veto it. Jones says, “The California Legislature should be focusing on ways to reduce costs for California drivers. Instead of targeting families and small businesses who need larger vehicles.”

AB 251 is part of the overall debate about how California will continue to fund roads when gas tax revenue declines over the coming years as more drivers transition to electric vehicles.”